Ball Joints (Please explain...)

[quicksliver]

Just got a bunch questions about ball joints and what purpose they serve...

1) What exactly does a 'Ball Joint' do?
2) How can you tell if one is going and/or needs replaceing?
3) Will a worn ball joint have an effect on tire wear?
4) Can anything bad happen if you continue to drive on a worn ball joint?

Any help would be appreciated...

[mxmaz]

2) the symptoms mine were gone was the car was bangin on bumps
3) hell yeah, it causes wheel misalignment
4) you should definitely change it. I had my 2 front inner ball joints done it was an hour labor and $20 for each ball joint so its not to pricey a job

[mxmaz]

1) found this on another site - Ball joints serve as the pivot points between the tires and suspension. Ball joints also support weight. On some vehicles, the ball joints may be used to make wheel alignment settings.

[ProtegeSTS]

the ball joint is the joint between the curve of the LCA and the curve of the strut as the suspension compresses or rebounds.

having a ball joint rip out will disconnect your lower control arm from the spindle, the spindle will have lots of freedom to move in directions it's not supposed to, and you'll crash.

feel it and see if there's signifigant play in each side.

worn ball joint will mean that your alignment is useless...there will be a good amount of play, and the tires will most likely wear badly, as they would with a lot of toe.